


Sunflowers

by mazenoodle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Florist Castiel, Fluff and Angst, I'm pretty sure that's a MCR tag but I mean they were a thing and they're not anymore, Language of Flowers, M/M, Misunderstandings, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6539383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mazenoodle/pseuds/mazenoodle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Castiel likes his flowers better than human interaction. And then he doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunflowers

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I was writing a comic for my comic book class and at 3 am I thought it was a good idea to also make it a florist!Cas AU. Maybe once I'm done with college I'll draw some art to go with it.
> 
> EDIT: It has art now. Over [here](http://mazenoodle.tumblr.com/post/143091891158/a-companion-to-my-fic-sunflowers-tried-really)
> 
> EDIT2: babymisha made a [super cute photoset inspired](http://babymisha.tumblr.com/post/145375891984/inspired-by-sunflowers-by-forcassiel-i-w) by this fic! Thank you so much!

Cas liked flowers. Flowers couldn't let you down. They’d let you nurture them to life. They made him happy and he made them happy in return. It was simple.

The bell over the door jolted, announcing a customer. Castiel looked up from his cosmos, _peaceful_ , annoyed at the interruption. As soon as his eyes landed on _him,_ his heart skipped a beat. There, in the quiet of his shop, against soft violet hues and the afternoon sun outside, was none other than Dean, carefully eyeing his sunflowers.

Dean must have felt him watching, or maybe he had been just feigning interest for freaking sunflowers of all things, _dedicated love, Kansas,_ because soon he was looking back, and coming closer to the counter.

“Hey, Cas.”

“Hello, Dean. How can I help you?”

“I… Uh… I’m, I mean, how have you been?”

“Fine.” Cas didn't know what was more distressing, Dean being here after everything or his nervous behavior. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Cas.” Dean pleaded. He just kept silent, refusing to say more than he absolutely had to. “Fuck. okay, you know what, fine. Yes, I want some peonies or whatever their name is.”

 _Bashfulness._ How appropriate. Cas wondered if Dean knew. Probably not, It’s not like Dean still cared about plants, not like he had someone to tell him about them. Right? Selfishly, Castiel hoped not.

“Here you go. It’s $5.73. Anything else?”

“Can we talk?”

“We have this mulch, helps neutralize the soil’s pH, to make sure your peonies adapt, are you interested?”

“Fine.” Dean handed him a ten. “Keep the change.” He said, walking towards the door with his new peony in hand.

With a sigh, Cas went back to his workstation. He shelved his cosmos and went to take care of his heather flowers.

_Solitude._

*

What he didn’t expect were Dean’s visits to become regular. He had hoped, but it was easier to fall back into his routine and his plants and his shop than it was to muse about seeing Dean again.

Every time Dean visited, he took a new plant home with him. And every exchange started to establish a fragile but sure amicability between them. Not friendship, it’d be stupid of him to let his guard down so soon. Besides, Castiel could be a stubborn son of a bitch when he wanted to.

The bell rang and he looked up to see Dean come in his direction, after a short stop to once again check the sunflowers.

“Hello, Dean. What is it going to be today?”

“Pinks. Wild ones.”

“Ah, yes, _dianthus plumarius._ ” For _hope._

“Yes, whatever, that.” He said blushing.

“These are easy,” Cas said with a soft smile on his face, lightly brushing the leaves and pink flowers. “They are low maintenance, they just need a lot of sun and a decent amount of water to be happy.”

When he looked up, Dean was watching him with a thoughtful expression, his eyes a little sad.

“How much will it be?” Dean averted his eyes, suddenly very interested in the plants behind Cas.

“$3.59, please.”

Dean’s fingers brushed his as he was receiving the five dollar bill and he was quick to retrieve it, blushing furiously.

Castiel didn’t look up to give Dean the change nor to watch him walk away with a quiet ‘thank you’.

As he watered the birds of paradise, _exciting anticipation,_ he thought he could still feel Dean’s fingers on his.

*

After that, the air between them felt charged whenever Dean would visit. Cas felt stupid and childish, ‘fool me once’ and all that jazz. But the sight of Dean wandering through his flower shop, eyes as green as the plants around him, with his soft smiles and softer blushes, made Cas forget about all the bad.

He missed warm afternoons sitting on his armchair, too small for two grown adults, talking about the newest plant he had acquired. How Dean looked at him like he looked at his flowers, like nothing made him happier than seeing Cas happy. How easy it had been for a while, to have someone else’s company instead of hiding among his plants for comfort.

Cas didn’t hear the bell this time, distracted as he was, so it came as a surprise when suddenly Dean was once again leaning over his counter, watching him.

“Hello, Dean, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You seemed awfully cozy with that flower over there. Should I come back later, leave you two alone?” Dean asked with a smirk.

“Yes, very funny Dean.”

“Should I be jealous?” As soon as he’d started, Dean, stoped laughing, realizing what he’d said.

“You never said what all these flowers are for.” Cas pointed out, deciding it would be better to change the subject.

“Yeah well…” Dean hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. “They’re, uh, they’re for someone.”

“Oh.” He felt his stomach fall, but it wasn’t the time for that. “So what will it be today?” He asked, looking around for something, anything to keep his hands busy.

“Uh, yellow tulips?”

Castiel wanted to cry. It all made sense now, and the flowers had been telling him all along. Peony, sweet pea, hydrangea, alstroemeria, pink, gardenia, red tulips and now yellow tulips? _Bashfulness, shyness, gratitude, friendship, hope, joy, declaration of love, hopelessly in love._ And that just from the top of his head. Dean was in love with someone, buying them flower after flower and playing some cruel joke on Cas in the meantime. And there had been Cas, entertaining the thought of trying again, with Dean, with them. He’d been stupid after all. All over again.

Castiel all but threw the vase at Dean, refusing to look at him.

“Cas? Are you-”

“Fine. I’m fine. Keep them.” _Hopelessly in love,_ it was fitting. “I have to close shop early today, please go.”

Dean looked worried, but he didn’t protest, walking away with a ‘see you, Cas’.

Shortly after Dean left, Cas went to shut the front door, flipping the sign so people would know it was closed. From the front window, he spotted Dean handing the tulips to a red head. He couldn’t see her face, but Dean didn’t look very well. Cas turned away, deciding not to think much about it, it didn’t matter anyway.

After making sure all the plants were taken care of for the night, he exited through the back door and made his way to the small apartment above the shop.

He went straight to his balcony, not bothering with the dirt, watching the forget-me-nots in the afternoon sun. Dean had given him those just before telling Castiel about his mother. He remembers Dean carefully watching him potting the flowers as he talked about his childhood, and apple pies and the fire that took his mother’s life. He remembers sharing a blanket with him until it was too cold to be outside, both of them quiet, just enjoying each other’s company.

Cas watched the flowers gently swaying with the wind, wishing he could just forget, wishing Dean hadn’t. He watched them until he couldn’t anymore and he went to bed, deciding a good night of sleep would do him good.

*

The next day saw Cas trying his best not to think about Dean.

So, of course Dean had to show up again.

Cas didn’t need the bell this time. As he was trimming some of his plants he heard a commotion outside. He half-heartedly looked outside the front window, only to see the redhead from the previous day all but pushing Dean, who was holding a huge bouquet of flowers, inside his store.

Cas busied himself with his plants. He didn’t really want to sign up for more heartbreak.

“Heya Cas, you okay? You seemed a little off yesterday.”

Cas looked up, angry at this human being in front of him who insisted in hurting him over and over and over again.

“That’s not any of your business. What do you want Dean? Did your girlfriend not like your fucking flowers?”

“My girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I saw her outside just now. What, she wanted more? Was that not enough?” He should probably put the shears down before he hurt himself. “Was _hopeless love_ not enough Dean?” Cas really should put the shears down, his vision blurred by angry tears. “Hey Dean, how about some forget-me-nots? That should be perfect, right?” He threw the shears away, looking at the miserable plant in front of him, unable to face Dean, the fight drained from his body, leaving him feeling empty.

“Just go away Dean, please.”

“Can I just have a sunflower? Not potted, a loose one.”

“Sure, sure, take it. Whatever you want, just take it and go.”

He turned away, pretending to do something, waiting for the bell to signal Dean’s leaving. He heard some flowers rustling and then silence.

“I want you.”

Castiel froze, wondering if he had heard right.

“I want you Cas. I was an idiot. Before, I mean. And maybe now too. I didn’t think it would hurt you, this plan. I’m sorry Cas.”

“What plan? I’m not a game Dean.”

“It was Charlie’s idea. That was her outside, by the way. Super cool kid, super into vagina.”

“Ok?” Cas was just confused now.

“I told her how you knew about the flowers. Their language. She thought it was a good idea to try to win you back.” Dean looked away, crushing slightly the bouquet in his tight grip. “So yeah, these are for you. How could they even be for someone else? You ruined everyone else for me Cas.” Dean’s eyes were pleading as he handed him the bouquet.

“I do like sunflowers.” He smiled, brushing his fingers through the soft petals. It was a hideous bouquet, to be honest, this many flowers should never belong in the same arrangement.

“I do love you Cas. I know I’ve done nothing to deserve you and I’m totally okay with just being frie-”

“Dean, shut up and come here.”

“What? Really?”

Cas didn’t bother to respond. And he didn’t wait for Dean, he could be a little slow sometimes. So he just leaned over the counter, probably giving a merciful death to the shredded plant from before, and pressed his lips against Dean.

It wasn’t a great kiss, both quite not believing they got to do this again.

“I’m never letting you help with the shop. That was a terrible bouquet, Dean.” Cas said, lips never wandering too far away from Dean’s.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Dean asked with a smile, grabbing his apron and bringing them closer.

“Yes Dean, yes it did.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I don't think I'm a very good writer, but I need to improve if I want to, at least, write my own comics, so feedback is always welcome! You can find me over at my spn blog [forcassiel](http://forcassiel.tumblr.com/post/142708498782) (reblogable link), or my art blog, [mazedoodle](http://mazenoodle.tumblr.com).


End file.
